Como Golf Club

Como Golf Club Local Rules ​

Note: The 2023 “Golf Canada” rules are always in effect. ​

 

1. “Preferred Lie” is in effect until further notice ​

 

A ball lying on a “closely-mown area” of the hole being played may be lifted and cleaned without penalty. The player must mark the spot of the ball before lifting it then place it within one club length not nearer the hole from its originally spot. Once placed, the ball is in play.

 

​Note 1: The Committee allows, without penalty, placing the ball by rolling it with a club head instead of lifting and placing it by hand. ​

 

Note 2: “Closely-mown area” is the area of the course where the grass is cut and maintained to fairway height or less including grass paths through the rough but does not include a putting green. ​

 

2. Drop areas ​

 

Drop areas are defined by the letters “DA” inside a circle of white paint on the ground or by a blue stake. The dropped ball must come to rest within the drop area. When identified by a blue stake; the area can be defined as a one club length radius around the stake. ​

 

3. Penalty areas ​

 

Penalty areas are defined by yellow and red stakes. ​

 

Note: The Committee included and identified the following as penalty areas: behind green #1, the right side of hole #2, the right side and behind the green of hole #5 (where not designated OB), left side of hole #6, the left and right side towards the green and behind the green of hole #7, the left side on the top portion of hole #8.Therefore, the player may proceed under Rule 17.1d or the player may elect to drop the ball, under penalty of one stroke, at a drop area as identified by a blue stake nearest to the point where the ball last crossed the penalty area margin. ​

 

3.1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) 

 

ESA staked by yellow and red stakes with GREEN tops are identified as “No Play Zones “on holes #5, #6 and #8. Therefore, when a ball is in or it is known or virtually certain that a ball is in a staked “No Play Zone”, the player must, under the penalty of one stroke proceed according to Rule 17.1d or 17.2. ​

 

When vegetation within a ESA “No Play Zone” on the course interferes with the player's stance or swing and if the ball is outside the “No Play Zone”, the player must take free (no penalty stroke) relief by dropping the ball at the nearest point of complete relief from the “No Play Zone” but no closer to the hole. ​

 

No free relief from a “No Play Zone” when interference exists only because the player chooses a club, stance, swing, or direction of play that is clearly unreasonable under the circumstances. ​

 

4. Out of Bounds ​

 

The course boundaries; “Out of Bounds” are defined by white stakes, white posts or fences.

 

Note 1: The “Out of Bounds” behind green #3 is located on top of the stone wall making the front of the wall an immovable obstruction (see ‘‘immovable obstruction’’ for relief option).

 

5. Immovable Obstruction ​

 

The following are declared by the Committee as “immovable obstructions”. The player may, without penalty, take relief from these obstructions under Rule 16.1.: ​

• Roads, paths, stairs and bridges constructed of gravel and/or asphalt and/or concrete and/or stone and/or wood except the parts or portions within the boundaries of a penalty area;

• Poles, posts, stakes, safety/protective nets, bird houses and fences except when used as markers for “out of bounds”;

• Permanently anchored ball washers, garbage cans and benches, irrigation equipment (control boxes and sprinkler heads), drainage grate covers, staked young trees and yardage markers;

• Como sign behind #6 green;

• French drains often covered with crushed stone; ​

 

Note: All stakes (except white) have been declared ‘‘immovable obstructions’’. Therefore, there is no need to remove them except, if obstruction occurs when playing from within a penalty area. Thank you for leaving them in place, and please replace them, if you had to remove them! ​

 

6. Abnormal Ground Conditions ​

 

The Committee includes and declares; tire ruts and damage caused by animals, “in the general area”, as “Abnormal Ground Conditions”. The player may, without penalty, take relief under Rule 16.1. ​

 

The Committee declares that during casual play, when a player’s ball ends up in what could be con sidered abnormal ground conditions, the decision for allowing relief shall be decided within the group. However, during sanctioned tournaments, the only applicable situations for relief are 6.1 and 6.2 unless otherwise specified by those in charge of the tournament. ​

 

Exception: A player may not take relief under this local rule if interference by anything other than the condition covered by this local rule makes the stroke clearly impracticable. ​

 

6.1 Embedded Ball

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In accordance with Rule 16.3; the Committee declares: “In the general area”, except in bunkers and penalty areas, a ball that is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course “in the general area”. ​

 

Note: In the spirit of the exception in Rule 18.2 a) ‘‘ball not found within 3 minutes’’ and in the effort to accelerate play, if a ball after being struck becomes lost and it is known or virtually certain to have landed “in the general area” in an “Abnormal Ground Condition” and is presumed “embedded” in the lower parts of hole #2 or hole #8 where wet and soft conditions often exist, the player may drop a substitute ball, without penalty, as closely as possible to the presumed point on the course. ​

 

Exceptions: A player may not take relief under this local rule if interference by anything other than the condition covered by this local rule makes the stroke clearly impracticable.

 

6.2 Ground Under Repair (GUR)

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Areas so defined by signage, white lines on the ground or white stakes with black tops are “ground under repair”. If a player’s ball lies in the defined area, or if the GUR interferes with the player’s stance or the area of the intended swing, the player may, without penalty, take relief under Rule 17.1c. ​

 

Note 1: Flower beds and newly sodded or seeded grass are declared by the Committee as “Ground Under Repair” and play within those areas is prohibited. ​

 

Note 2: The area immediately to the right of the back tees of hole #3 (tree nursery) is declared “Ground Under Repair” and play within this area is prohibited. ​

 

Note 3: IMPORTANT! Railroad operator and our insurance policy FORBID play from the railroad. Therefore, the Committee declares the railroad gravel bedding area “ground under repair” defined by white stakes with black tops and play within this area is prohibited. So, if the ball lies in this GUR, the player may, without penalty, take relief under Rule 17.1c or the player may elect to drop the ball at the nearest drop area identified by a blue stake. In all situations the player must take relief and play the next stroke from outside this GUR. ​

 

7. Alternative to stroke and distance ​

 

The Committee has decided that for balls lost or “Out of Bounds”, players can now elect to take relief under penalty of two (2) strokes as an alternative to stroke and distance. Players electing this option must play from a relief zone as defined by Golf Canada in their Model Local Rule E-5. ​

 

Note: The Committee declares that this local rule is not applicable for any sanctioned tournament. The Committee in charge of a competition will announce in advance whether this rule is applicable.

 

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